We’ll keep tabs on the latest minor moves in this post …
- Outfielder Collin Cowgill has signed on with the Phillies on a minor league pact, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The 31-year-old Cowgill would earn an $800K base salary if he cracked the big league roster, per Nightengale, though he’ll have an uphill battle ahead of him in that regard. Philadelphia will have Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera, Aaron Altherr, Nick Williams and Roman Quinn in the outfield mix as it is. Cowgill didn’t play in the Majors in 2017 and only logged nine games in 2016. He’s a career .234/.297/.329 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons and a career .283/.356/.431 hitter in seven Triple-A seasons.
Earlier Moves
- The Yankees have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder Shane Robinson, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). He could earn at a $950K rate in the majors and will receive an invitation to MLB camp this spring. The 33-year-old Robinson has long been a reserve/depth piece, seeing action in eight MLB campaigns but compiling only 795 total plate appearances at the game’s highest level. He spent most of 2017 with the Angels’ top affiliate, slashing a sturdy .319/.370/.425 in his 385 trips to the plate.
- Righty Stephen Fife is heading back stateside after signing on with the Indians, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). The 31-year-old, a third-round pick in 2008, hasn’t seen the majors since 2014 but does own a 3.66 ERA in 91 career frames. Fife made five starts last year for Japan’s Seibu Lions, but struggled to a 6.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 13 walks in just 21 frames. He’ll be looking to get back on track with the Cleveland organization, though he’ll certainly face very long odds to crack the roster out of camp.
Yuge Yankee signing!!!
Yuge Yankee signing. Cash never sleeps!
I’m guessing the Yanks needs an outfielder for their AAA team. He has excellent AAA stats but horrible ML stats. There is no chance he would even make it to the majors with their bloated outfield anyway.
What if they trade Frazier and Judge and Stanton run into each other somehow because the centerfielder isn’t paying attention? Huh? Did you think about that?
Then they convert Russell Wilson to OF and he’ll play out there.
Not really. They already have Frazier, Cave, McKinney, and Blash as OFs in line for AAA going into the season.
This move is non-sensical to me. Pretty sure we already have 8 OFs between AAA and the majors.
Robinson makes 9.
Somethings gotta give.
It’s called veteran mentors/reinforcements in AA. Guys like Robinson usually wind up there
Had forgotten Fife existed
He must be accepting a move to the bullpen, and that is why he was able to find such an opportunity.
Since we haven’t really seen him in relief outside his first pro season, it will be interesting to see how his stuff plays in short doses. This may just make him an interesting piece with at least some chance to make it back to the bigs
Either that, or filler as a starter in Columbus.
He’ll never make it out of camp with NYY.
Pretty bold prediction there lol
They just want to be able to move a piece without having to move up any of the young OFers before they’re ready. No rush to move them up, the OF will have the most HR’s of any OF without a center fielder
As soon as I saw the news on Darwin Barney yesterday, I was hoping for an update on Stephen Fife.
Why Marijuasher?
May give Judge and Stanton competition haha.
So Phillies will charge big league prices for tickets for fielding a minor league team. Count me out as a fan.
It looks like they will be better off without you then, even with all that obvious knowledge you have not just of the game but the business aspect of it as well…
The Yankees are the winning organization. Always fielding a competitive team; the Phils, not so much. Phil’s act like a small market team.
No one ever counted you in
I’m a leader, I counted my self in, then out.
Calm down,its a depth move. Could end up just a spring training depth move.
You’ll be back by July anyway